Kids and Dogs

I have so many peevs as a dog owner, and I’d say running a close tie to number one, is parents who create fear of dogs in their children. I HATE this, if you don’t like dogs fine, but grabbing a toddler and running away is ridiculous … case in hand my cousins wife, doesn’t like dogs and her behaviour around dogs means their 3 year old daughter wets herself when she sees dogs now.

However over the weekend during the course of our walks I had a few kids that brightened up my day!

On Sat I walked up to my auntie … she has a habit of saying “I’ll be there in 10 minutes” and not appearing for 40.. so me Frank and Tara sat in her garden waiting, was a lovely day so didn’t mind to much when a lady with a baby in a pram and a little boy walked passed … the little boy stopped dead … “Look at those doggies mummy, do you think I can touch one?” and rather than grabbing her son and running for the hills which I expected, her reply was so nice “you best ask the lady first”.

The little boy called Dylan very politely asked me if he could pet my dogs, which I was okay, he then very nicely and calmly clapped Frank and Tara, Tara lapped it up of course!

A few hours later I was walking home, and through the fields which has a park at the far side, and a few kids where walking towards me, again I’d say they were no older than 5, and I hear 1 little girl saying to her friends .. “Don’t jump around the dogs, they don’t like it!” and she clapped Tara because she was a girl and a couple others where petting Frank. Such a clever little girl.

Then on Sunday I was up at the shops with my mum and as I waited outside with Frank and Tara another little girl come along with her mum she asked her mum if the dogs where nice dogs and her mum pointed out that maybe she should ask the lady holding the leads, but also pointed out that the dogs where sitting very nicely!!

I know there is all this Stranger Danger teaching in schools and I 100% believe in a child’s safety.
However when it comes to dogs, I don’t think running away or running towards strange dogs is a good idea either. I think its great that some parents are trying to teach their children at a young age what behaviour is appropriate around dogs! Dylan’s mum was saying that although they don’t own a dog she doesn’t want Dylan to grow up scared of them.
Such a nice change to some of the behaviour I have seen going one and it’s not just a reference to Stafford’s!

Hope everyone else had a lovely Bank Holiday!
x

It's def great to get them around kiddies as much as possible.

Strangely I have never experienced that with parents, they have always been very happy, almost insisting for their kids to play with Logan. I only ever have problems with other dog owners.

Great that your two behave well around them though

I haven't really experienced parents reacting badly when they see Loki and passing it onto their kids, so that's pretty good. Definitely would be frustrating to see though, because all it does is pass on a fear that isn't needed, all you need is common sense. Glad they had great interactions with some kids though

Great news to have positive feedback for our doggies but unfortunately there is a few that let themselves down, I've been lucky so far & not had many negative encounters.

Aww, lovely story! It's nice to see a child stroking a dog. I think it's good for them.

I also have respect for mothers who are nervous of dogs, but don't yank their kids away when ever they see one. A couple of years ago, a woman was letting her child stroke Dempsey and she looked really nervous. She was obviously trying not to pass it onto the child though, which I thought was good of her.

A while back I was walking my parents Dobermann and a child started crying because she was afraid of the on-lead dog which was sat calmly (i asked Bell to sit because of the child). I found it so frustrating because the mother cuddled her daughter and started reassuring her - in a dog world i translate this as telling the child her behaviour is okay. Such a mean way to raise a child!